Keeper for night-latches



I T. .E. CROUCH. KEEPER FOR NIGHT LATCHES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10,1920.

1,365,156. Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

entree s'g p.

Parent QFFICE.

THOMAS on'onon, or srnivrronr, eoNNnoTIo'UT, ASSIGNOR To Turn YALE a TOWN'E MANnrAcTnnrNeooiureNY, or sTAMronn, CONNECTICUT.

KEEPER non NIGHT-LATGHES.

Specification of {Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

original application filed February 24, 1920, Serial No. 361,025. Bivided and this application filed July 10, 1920. Serial No. 395,244.

To all w 710m it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS CROUCH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Stamford, in the county of F airfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Keepers for Night-Latches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,'and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in keeper for night latches, and is a division of my application Serial No. 361,025 filed February 24, 1920.

The invention consists in a strike plate and keeper drawn from a single blank, the front face thereof being reinforced by a separate steel plate permanently attached to its face and adapted to not only take the strain and wear of the bolt, but also stiflen or brace the supporting flange of the keeper.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the keeper and Fig. 2 is a View in transverse section of the same. i

The keeper 5 is designed particularly for use with rim night latches and is drawn from a single blank of metal. The strike plate 6 thereof has the bolt opening and is also elongated as shown to provide a projecting flange 7 for the attachment of the keeper to the door jamb.

Secured to the inner face of the front or strike plate is the steel reinforcing plate 8 which latter is approximately the size of the inner surface of the face or strike plate 6 including the flange 7, and it is provided with an opening for the bolt of the lock, the said opening in the reinforcing plate being so located with relation to the opening in the strike plate that it takes all the strains imparted to the keeper by a pressure against the door or bolt tending to open the door, and engages the bolt when the latter is in its locking position, and prevents the wear, due to such contact, from falling on the keeper proper, which latter may be comparatively thin and is of softer metal. This reinforcing plate is riveted to the flange of the strike plate so as to become a permanent part of the latter and it is provided with screw holes in line with the screw holes 10 in the flange 7 for the passage of the screws which secure the keeper to the door jamb. ll 1s a bottom plate, made separate front the keeper, and resting at one edge on the steel reinforcing plate at the rear edge of the bolt opening. The bolt opening in the reinforcing plate is slightly greater in width than the opening in the face of strike plate thus. bringingthe rear wall of the opening wall of the keeper as clearly shown in Fig.

2, and when the parts are thus assembled and the reinforcing plate riveted to the face plate, the bottom plate will be permanently secured within the keeper and constitute a unitary part of the latter. The bottom plate 11 is provided with a screw hole for the passage ofa screw which assists in securing the keeper to the jamb.

With this construction the keepers for the ordinary night latch can be drawn from a single blank of comparatively thin metal and when reinforced. by the steel plate which is within the keeper, will be as strong and durable as a keeper made of heavier metal and when secured in place by screws passing through the reinforcing plate will be held securely and solidly in place. Again by reinforcing the strike plate of the keeper the latter is prevented, even if made of light metal, from being bent or distorted in shape by the contact with the bolt while closin the door.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. A keeper for a night latch having a strike plate provided with a flange, and with an opening for the latch and separate reinforcing plate secured against the inner face of said strike plate and flange and reinforcing both approximately throughout their surfaces, the said reinforcing plate having a bolt opening in line with the bolt opening in the strike plate.

2. A keeper for night latches having a front or strike plate and a reinforcing plate permanently secured to the rear face of the latter, the bolt opening in the reinforcing plate being of slightly greater width than the bolt opening in the strike plate so that the rear wall of the opening in the reinforcing plate will be below the corresponding wall in the strike plate.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a keeper, a wearing plate secured against the rear face of the strike plate of said keeper and having a bolt opening therein, and a bottom plate secured to the rear of the keeper and resting at its front edge on the reinforcing plate below the bolt opening in the keeper.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a keeper for a look, a reinforcing or wearing plate secured to the rear face of the strike plate of the keeper and having an opening for the bolt of the lock and a bottom plate secured at its rear edge to the keeper and resting at its front edge againstthe strike plate of the latter the said bottom plate having a screw hole therein.

As a new article of manufacture, a keeper for a lock, a reinforcing or wearing plate secured to the rear face of the strike plate of the keeper and having a bolt opening therein, and a bottom plate secured at its rear edge to the keeper and resting at its front edge on the lower Wall of the bolt opening in the reinforcing plate and against the rear wall of the strike plate.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' THOMAS E. CROUCH. lVitnesses':

VVILLIAM A. HANN, CHARLES A. BERRY. 

